OPAL
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OPAL Play
This video celebrates children's OPAL play in the Autumn term. It contains a new play charter voted for by the children, as well as the unveiling of our gazebo and endless, creative play. The children continue to amaze us with their ability to design, problem solve and innovate whilst understanding their personal boundaries and taking sensible risks.
Welcome to our OPAL project!
In September 2022, we embarked on an exciting new project to make our play times even better at Trotts Hill, in conjunction with OPAL. OPAL has won the “best active schools’ programme in Europe” award and been cited in two Parliamentary Reports as outstanding. OPAL is working closely with Sport England to promote more active childhoods. We worked in partnership with OPAL for 18 months and they supported us to deliver the programme. At the end of the project, we were awarded the Platinum Award, placing Trotts Hill in the top 1% of schools nationally for our play offer. Recently, in March 2026, we have become a Double Platinum Award winning school.
Doc 7.17 OPAL Parents Power of Playtimes Book
"Play is freely chosen, personally directed, intrinsically motivated behaviour that actively engages the child. Play can be fun or serious. Through play children explore social, material and imaginary worlds and their relationship with them, elaborating all the while a flexible range of responses to the challenges they encounter. By playing, children learn and develop as individuals, and as members of the community" (Play Council 2001).
Appendix 2 The Playwork Principles-an overview
Appendix 1 HSE_s Guidance on Managing Risk in Play and Leisure
Our Play Charter
Working in unison with the children, we have developed a new play charter which captures all of the words in answer to the questions: What does play look like at Trotts Hill? How do we keep safe?
Trotts Hill Primary is an OPAL Platinum School!
We are thrilled to announce that after our final OPAL audit on 19th March 2024, we have been awarded PLATINUM for our play provision. This is the highest OPAL award and we scored 96% in the final audit. The Platinum Award puts our school in the top 1 percentile of UK primary schools in terms of the quality of our play offer. We are one of only a few schools locally to have achieved this award and are very proud of the whole play team and OPAL working party, who have worked tirelessly to improve playtimes for the children in our school.
Feedback from our final audit:
"Trotts Hill is a brilliant OPAL school with so many exciting spaces that offer endless play opportunities to children of all ages, genders, ethnicities, abilities and disabilities. The time, commitment and effort that has gone into improving playtime is incredible. The way that play has been embedded across the school will ensure that children benefit from their improved play opportunities for years to come. The Play Team are dedicated to supporting and facilitating children's play and developing the play spaces across the site. The children's enthusiasm for OPAL is so joyful to see, reflected in the presentation given by a group of year 6 children during the final audit meeting. Congratulations to all the team, the school staff, the children, and the wider community, - this is so well deserved’
Please see the article in the Stevenage Comet:
Stevenage school named among top 1 per cent in the country | The Comet
Staff voice: 'The best thing about OPAL is... the creativity of the children and the harmony it has created.'
Parent voice: 'OPAL broadens their imaginations, encourages, new ideas, encourages team work and independence. It provides endless play opportunities and excitement and is confidence building. I love it! Such a brilliant addition to Trotts Hill. It brings an element of my childhood that I loved and have fond memories of.'
Pupil voice: 100% children stated playtimes are better with OPAL! Marnie, Y4: 'There's nothing we can't do!'
The Power of Play
Please be reminded of the 10 things every parent should know about play:
1. Children learn through their play.
Don’t underestimate the value of play. Children learn and develop:
cognitive skills – like math and problem solving in a pretend grocery store
physical abilities – like balancing blocks and running on the playground
new vocabulary – like the words they need to play with toy dinosaurs
social skills – like playing together in a pretend car wash
literacy skills – like creating a menu for a pretend restaurant
2. Play is healthy.
Play helps children grow strong and healthy. It also counteracts obesity issues facing many children today.
3. Play reduces stress.
Play helps your children grow emotionally. It is joyful and provides an outlet for anxiety and stress.
4. Play is more than meets the eye.
Play is simple and complex. There are many types of play: symbolic, sociodramatic, functional, and games with rules-–to name just a few. Researchers study play’s many aspects: how children learn through play, how outdoor play impacts children’s health, the effects of screen time on play, to the need for recess in the school day.
5. Make time for play.
As parents, you are the biggest supporters of your children’s learning. You can make sure they have as much time to play as possible during the day to promote cognitive, language, physical, social, and emotional development.
6. Play and learning go hand-in-hand.
They are not separate activities. They are intertwined. Think about them as a science lecture with a lab. Play is the child’s lab.
7. Play outside.
Remember your own outdoor experiences of building forts, playing on the beach, sledding in the winter, or playing with other children in the neighbourhood. Make sure your children create outdoor memories too.
8. There’s a lot to learn about play.
There’s a lot written on children and play. Here are some NAEYC articles and books about play. David Elkind’s The Power of Play (Da Capo, 2007 reprint) is also a great resource.
9. Trust your own playful instincts.
Remember as a child how play just came naturally? Give your children time for play and see all that they are capable of when given the opportunity.
10. Play is a child’s context for learning.
Children practice and reinforce their learning in multiple areas during play. It gives them a place and a time for learning that cannot be achieved through completing a worksheet. For example, in playing restaurant, children write and draw menus, set prices, take orders, and make out checks. Play provides rich learning opportunities and leads to children’s success and self-esteem.
© National Association for the Education of Young Children — Promoting excellence in early childhood education - See more at: http://families.naeyc.org/learning-and- development/child-development/10-things-every-parent-should-know-about- play#sthash.1DhJwbPA.dpuf
Play Rangers 2025-2026
OPAL Play 2025 - 2026
Summer 2026
OPAL Double Platinum Celebration
18 May 2026, Stevenage, Hertfordshire
Trotts Hill Primary School Celebrates Double Platinum OPAL Success
Pupils and staff at Trotts Hill Primary School are celebrating after achieving the prestigious Platinum OPAL Award for the second time — officially making the school a “Double Platinum OPAL School”.
The OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) programme recognises schools that provide outstanding opportunities for outdoor play and learning, supporting children’s wellbeing, creativity and development.
Retaining Platinum status for a second time is a significant achievement and reflects the school’s continued commitment to providing high-quality play opportunities for all pupils.
To mark the achievement, the Mayor of Stevenage, Councillor Nazmin Chowdhury, attended the school’s celebrations alongside pupils, staff and governors. The celebration recognised the hard work of staff, pupils and families who have supported the school’s OPAL journey.
I am incredibly proud of Trotts Hill for achieving this prestigious award for the second time. Through play our children are learning, creating, problem solving, connecting, exploring, wondering and discovering. Congratulations to our wonderful pupils, staff parents and carers! - Liz Evans, Headteacher
Spring 2026
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The hay bales have been replenished! The children worked collaboratively to move them and they have been a popular play resource ever since for all age groups.
Autumn 2025 Compressed.mp4
OPAL Stay and Play Autumn 2025
Treehouse
This treehouse is a symbol to celebrate imagination, play and the joy of childhood. A treehouse is a place where adventures begin. It’s a castle in the sky, a pirate ship sailing the seas, a secret reading nook. It’s where laughter will echo, friendships will grow, and memories will be made for years to come.
This treehouse represents what happens when you have an idea and when a community comes together. This started with Brandon, who thought of an idea, visualised it, designed it and shared it with us, with the help of Tommy and Bailey. Brandon dared to dream, and FROTH helped to make this dream come alive with their ongoing support and championing of Trotts Hill.